The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.
Xex Alert: Not too spicy, but not entirely unspicy either. :)
The dark haired woman leaned over the table, switching the cooling trays. Her arms were strong and tan from working. Flour speckled her outfit despite the apron, which was tied carefully around her waist. She wasn't too concerned about her looks though. Her aim was simple, to play her part and help make the feast tonight one of the best and most memorable possible. She hummed a happy little tune and turned around.
The noise that came out of her throat could only be called heartrending. It certainly hadn't been intentional, but when her eyes caught sight of Joxer, being held lovingly by strong dark man, she felt a grief in her heart unlike any other. Joxer's warm brown eyes looked up and connected with wounded blue eyes. Toris found his mouth saying, "Xena?" in confusion.
Joxer said, "Meg." He'd forgotten how beautiful she was.
Meg said, "You! You! You!," she spluttered. " You have room in your heart for *her* AND *him* but Not For Me?!!!!!" When Joxer had told her that he was in love with Gabrielle, she'd supported him. Given him her blessing in fact. She liked Gabrielle. She had even told him that he would always have a place in her heart and he could visit when he wanted. And he'd been so noble, saying that he could only love one at a time. But now, seeing that he indeed had room in his heart for more than one person, but not for her, she felt a wound extreme. Her face contorted with a painful rage. "What's wrong with Me? Why couldn't it have been me?!!!"
Joxer's hands raised themselves, and he tried to explain, "Now Meg, it's not," He didn't get very far before he felt warmish pastries splattered all over his chest and face. Each pastry smacked to the rhythm of Meg's vituperative exclamations (most of which included a truly false genealogy, not to mention impossible carnal actions, but we won't go there), until he was quite covered in baked crust and a red colored filling. The tray fell emptily to the floor and Meg ran crying from the room.
Toris, in an effort regain his aplomb, for he was truly shocked at Meg's likeness to his sister, took advantage of lover's privilege and swiped a finger across Joxer's chest. Then he tasted and nodded, "Hmm. Cherry."
Meg didn't watch where she was going since the tears got in her way and she ran smack into a tall, blonde, lost Amazon who'd been trying to find her way to the kitchen to see if she could weasel a small snack. The feast was still a few hours away and she was hungry. She'd finally decided to follow her nose, since the other way hadn't been working. Arete found her arms around a crying woman who looked amazingly like Xena.
She had no idea what Xena would have to cry about, but figured that she could think of worse things to be doing than holding the warrior princess. (Though, why was she wearing an apron?) And so, being an intelligent woman but only having so much information, she began to do her best to reassure the woman she thought was the warrior princess. She patted the raven haired woman on the back consolingly. "I'd heard it was tough on you two, but had no idea." Meg bawled even harder. "Don't worry. It'll all work out. We Amazons know the score." Arete's tunic was getting decidedly soggy.
Arete looked up just in time to notice a woman wheeling a large cart down the hallway. There wasn't enough room for them and her. "Uh, we gotta move." She patted the woman's shoulder, but she was still crying. "Hello?" Still crying, not moving. Arete made a hasty decision and lifted the sobbing woman into her strong arms and made a quick run down the hallway until they were out of the cart's thundering way. She set Meg down again and stepped away. She shook the woman gently and looked her in the eyes. Arete's own green eyes held compassion. Who knew something like this would be so tough? But she guessed, if you really loved someone, being parted even for a little while might be difficult and maybe Xena didn't know that the Amazon's fully intended to help out, in case. Arete started wiping the tears from Meg's face. "You have *got* to get it together. You can be with your love as soon as the competition's over. I mean no one's gonna stop you from,"
Meg found herself gazing into sympathetic green eyes. Her soul was hurting and it made her body ache. Something snapped into place. An erotic something.
Arete was continuing, "You need to,"
Meg's voice turned sultry, "I know what I need."
Arete, big and strong as she was, was not dumb. She recognized that tone of voice, "Uh, what are you saying?"
Meg's hands started moving provocatively against the Amazon's bare skin. "I need you."
Arete tried to stop Meg's hands from moving by stepping back and out of the way, but Meg just stepped closer and made a surprise claim on Arete's lips. Arete, pulled away and backed up until she was against a wall. "Really, I'm sure we could get you into," she meant to say Gabrielle's room, but never got there.
"So, big and strong. You're just lovely. And I need someone who understands. You understand don't you?" Arete was getting confused and distracted. Meg knew how to use her hands and her mouth.
"I do, I do, but." She tried to wiggle away from Meg, but found herself pinned by a strong grip and a warm body. "What about Queen Gabrielle?" she managed in a panicked whisper?
"Gabrielle?" Meg's eyebrows shot up. "Trust me, she won't mind. She won't mind at all." Warm hands cupped the stunned Amazon's breasts, "I'm sure she'd want you to help me. We're good friends after all. And I need some. . .consoling, and you are just the one to do it." Arete really really did try to resist. But Meg pegged Arete to the wall with a final persuading kiss and that was that.
Eponin grinned as Xena looked at herself in the mirror. Her armor was polished to an almost blinding shine and her leather's seemed suppler, more pliant. Xena's lopsided smile reflected back at the delighted Amazon. "This is," Xena spoke sincerely, "really quite impressive."
"I fixed that squeak too."
Xena's lips quirked, "I noticed." She patted her own belly and a looked to the side, "This is nice Eponin. Really nice." Her fingers caressed the leather, "They almost look new."
"I had to do a little repairing."
Xena grinned. There were some people who needed to hear more than words. She turned around quickly and grabbed the Amazon in a bear hug. "Thank you." She said firmly and she held on until Eponin relaxed in her arms. "You did good." When she released the Amazon, there were no more comments, but only a happy smile. Xena's smile changed so that her eyes crinkled up, "I can't wait to see Gabrielle's reaction."
"She'll like?"
Xena laughed and looked back in the mirror, "Are you kidding, she's been after me about that squeak. She'll love it."
A more relaxed and soothed woman kissed a satiated but stunned Amazon, who was thinking, *Damn, when Xena said she had many skills, she wasn't kidding.*
"Thank you so much," said Meg. "I really needed that."
Arete stuttered out a, "You're welcome."
Meg trailed a lazy hand across a muscular belly and sighed, "too bad I have to go and finish preparing for the feast tonight. I could get used to spending time with you." Arete blushed. Meg smiled and kissed the Amazon lightly, "I'll see you around Arete." Arete smiled shyly in return, sat up and watched as the woman dressed herself neatly.
Meg sighed happily, "I feel so much better. You work wonders. I'm going to have to tell. . ."
Arete spoke in shock, "You're going to tell Gabrielle about this?"
Meg blinked, "Well, I was. . ." she started to explain that she had a friend she was learning to correspond with. She had been practicing her writing. One day she hoped to surprise Gabrielle with an actual letter.
"Don't you think she'd be hurt?" Meg looked at Arete blankly.
"Why would she be hurt? Gabrielle knows about me."
"You mean you do this kind of thing all the time?"
Meg's face did that "NO!" thing, even as she said the word. "I don't do this nearly as often as I used to. Before I met Gabrielle, why you could say I slept with almost anything that moved. I've been a lot more choosy since. Though right now I'm questioning my choices."
Arete blinked and thought, Oh my Gods, that's what this is about. "Look, I don't know how you two have things arranged, though I guess it's a lot more relaxed than I'd supposed, but I know you're loved. I mean all you have to do is see the look and you'd know what I mean."
Meg looked up, "Really?"
Arete nodded firmly, "Absolutely. The look is right there for everyone to see. Everyone with eyes that is."
Meg bit her lip. "I don't know what to say."
"Maybe you just need to see if you can work something out, you know, for during the competition."
Meg looked at the blonde, "You're pretty smart." She got a smile. "I think I'll try that." She gave the warrior another kiss and then grinned, "But now I've got to go. I have things to do, people to see. It was fun."
Arete nodded. Crisis averted. "Yes it was." Things really would work out.